Category Archives: CPS News

THE “historical commission” which examined thoroughly the whole documentation of the life and work of Abbot Francis Pfanner, chiefly from a historical and archival
point of view, has ended its work.

Its report was handed in by its president, Br Philippe Denis OP, lecturer in Church history, to Mgr Paul Nadal, episcopal delegate of Stanislaw Dziuba of Umzimkulu diocese.

With this, an important phase of the diocesan inquiry in the sainthood cause of the Austrian-born founder of the Mariannhill Missionaries is over.

Fr Yves La Fontaine, the postulator for the cause, has published a booklet entitled The Spirituality of Abbot Francis Pfanner and Consecrated Life Today.

The booklet is based on a talk on Abbot Pfanner which Fr La Fontaine gave to religious at the Emaus Heritage Centre in Umzimkulu earlier this year.

“I simply got the idea that I should take this opportunity to make my contribution available to a wider public of religious,” he said.

“And it was by looking more closely at what Pope Francis expected from religious during this special Year of Consecrated Life that I began to prepare myself.”

In the booklet he draws from his own experience in the consecrated life through the spirituality of Abbot Pfanner.

“It did some good to me personally. Then I thought: ‘Why could it not help others then?’ ”

He described the booklet as “a kind of examination of conscience in the light of elements which can be found in any religious institute”.

“Such a soul-searching can certainly be profitable for any religious. With God’s grace it can lead to some conversions, to a greater conformity to Christ’s sentiments, to true joy, as Pope Francis hopes, and to a lifestyle that will really be an alternative way
of living in today’s world,” Fr La Fontaine said.

The Spirituality of Abbot Francis Pfanner and Consecrated Life Today can be bought for R40 a copy from the Monastery repository on 031 700 1031.

The 2015 Yearly Pilgrimage to Emaus

Once more this year’s pilgrimage for the two provinces of Mariannhill and Mthatha of the CMM and CPS witnessed the participation of many lay people who joined us. Since the last few years we have progressively opened our pilgrimage also to lay people who have a true veneration for Abbot Francis. And to our satisfaction, many responded. In short, we had a good crowd.

This year’s theme was Abbot Francis, A Man Totally Committed to His Religious and Missionary Vocation. This theme arose from the special year of Consecrated Life, which is a privileged occasion for religious to renew themselves.

Verse 17 of the first reading “Brothers, be united in imitating me” pointed to Paul as a model; more precisely, to the model of a man totally committed to his vocation. In the same way we were invited to remain united to Abbot Francis who was also fully dedicated to his vocations as religious and missionary and to look at him as a special model for us. The gospel stated that Jesus’ commitment is rooted in or comes from his Father’s love; therefore he “remained in him.” This was a clear invitation for us to also remain in him. Just like Abbot Francis did. We were reminded therefore that this stability in God’s love lies in the Ora of the famous Ora et Labora or, in other words, in the contemplative aspect of our lives.

Part of the crowd beginning the stations of the cross

The president and homilist of the Eucharistic celebration was a great friend of Mariannhill, Bishop Emeritus Hubert Bucher – who lives at Mater Dolorosa. As to the choir it was made of the group of our CMM novices and of a group of young CPS sisters. Needless to say that their execution, which was great, helped a packed assembly to make of its prayer a radiant celebration. Among other things, right from the beginning they vibrantly connected us to Abbot Francis himself with their execution of O Francis Pfanner and inspiring words like “You told us once: The flame of your true zeal let it soar!” and “Each good and true grace and each good thought, Each holy hope of heart, all comes from God!”

A few years ago we stopped ending our pilgrimage with the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament because the via crucis was taking a bit more time than before; we then opted for a more personal commitment. Each pilgrim was strongly invited to go to the “memorial room” – where Abbot Francis died – and there to take a few minutes of personal prayer to submit to Abbot Francis one or several personal intentions or to entrust to him the needs of other people, this just before leaving the place. This seems to be successful.

The National religious education conference was opened by Bishop Sithembele Anton Siphuka, from Umtata.
The input sessions were given by experts from Australia, Ireland, USA, und South Africa. The theme was: “From Roots to Wings”

Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood who attended are shown in the photo below:-

The aim of the conference was to help the learners to become rooted in Christ and to grow wings so that they may become instruments of Justice and peace in our world.

The theme: “Roots and Wings” expresses a desire to enable our learners attending school, to be rooted and grounded in Christ and to equip them to fly and to become instruments of justice and peace in our troubled world

Sound religious education must nurture both.

The roots are the inner values on which the learners can model their lives. These will make them secure and strong in their faith.

The wings should give the learners a sense of freedom and an independence to live out their lives with a christian centered responsibility.

We were also encouraged to promote bible meditations in our lessons, so that learners could experience God in their lives, and that they may build their lives on the living experience of Christ and the bible message, which expresses itself in a practical caring way for all people of the world, and the environment.

Lastly we were encouraged to make use of social media in teaching and learning religious education in our schools, as our world is completely inter-connected and interactive. The purpose of the use of social media in teaching and learning is to link faith and life.
Pope Francis expressed his belief by saying that there is an important role to be played by the correct use of social media in evangelisation

We learnt songs which helped us to integrate the content of the conference: One of the songs touched me very deeply.

“If I had two wishes
And two were all I had
and they could just be granted by my mom and dad;
I wouldn’t ask for money
or for any stored-bought things.
The greatest gift I would have asked
for are simply ‘Roots and Wings.’”

The conference ended with a beautiful Eucharistic celebration concelebrated lead by Bishop Sandi from Witbank, and two fellow bishops.